About
Khuushuur is one of those dishes that tells you everything you need to know about Mongolia before you ever set foot on the steppe. On paper it’s simple: a pocket of dough stuffed with meat — usually mutton or beef — folded shut and dropped into hot oil until it turns the color of late-summer grass. But like most Mongolian food, it wasn’t born in a kitchen. It was born out there, in the wind, in a world where meals had to be portable, tough, and unapologetically caloric.
For centuries, nomads carried food that could survive the cold, the horses, the distance between one horizon and the next. Khuushuur fit the bill. It’s the kind of thing you can eat with one hand while the other holds the reins. And during Naadam — Mongolia’s great yearly spectacle of wrestling, archery, and horse racing — the smell of frying khuushuur hangs in the air like a national anthem. You can hear the crackle of oil over the crowd.
The dough couldn’t be simpler: flour and water, rolled thin, filled with minced meat mixed with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, maybe a hit of caraway if someone’s feeling fancy. The edges are sealed with little pinches — tiny flour-based signatures — and then the whole thing is fried until the outside blisters and the inside steams. When you bite in, the juice runs down your wrist, and every Mongolian will tell you that means you’re doing it right.
This isn’t just street food. It’s family food, festival food, the kind of thing that shows up whenever people gather. In a ger on the steppe, you'll find a grandmother shaping dough with the same muscle memory she’s had since childhood, each crimp a reminder that even a humble fried pocket carries heritage. Every region, every family has its own fold, its own swagger.
Sure, there are cousins in the same culinary family — buuz, the steamed dumplings, and bansh, the smaller ones served boiled or steamed. But khuushuur is the rebel, the one that hits the oil and comes out crackling and wild, smelling like fire and fat and open space.
Eat it hot. Burn your tongue a little. Dip it in whatever sauce you can find or don’t — Mongolians traditionally didn’t bother with vegetables, and khuushuur doesn’t need the help anyway. It’s a complete meal disguised as a snack, a fried love letter to a land where survival turned into cuisine.
Khuushuur isn’t just a dish. It’s Mongolia in the palm of your hand — rugged, warm, and built to carry you across miles.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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Khuushuur From Mongolia
Khuushuur (хуушууp) is a traditional Mongolian dish consisting of fried dough pockets filled with meat, usually mutton, beef, or other meats.
Prep time
35 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Serves
4-6
INGREDIENTS
Dough:
250 g Flour
150 ml Water
Filling:
300 g Minced Meat (traditionally mutton, but beef or other meats are acceptable) - choose a fattier blend for more flavor
1 white Onion, minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
3-5 tbsp Water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Caraway or cumin, to taste
For Frying:
Oil
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Instructions
A traditionally simple fried meat pocket from the steppes of Central Asia
Click here for video recipe and story on Instagram
Prepare the Filling
In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, onion, and garlic and spices.
Add 3 to 5 tablespoons of water to achieve a smooth consistency.
Prepare the Dough
In a separate bowl, mix flour and water to form a dough.
Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
Cut the dough into slices about 3 cm (1.2 inches) thick.
Roll each slice into a log, then cut the log into pieces about 4 cm (1.6 inches) long.
Flatten each piece slightly with your fingers.
Form the Pockets
Roll each flattened piece of dough into a circle about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. The center should be slightly thicker than the edges.
Place 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of the meat filling on one half of each circle, leaving some space around the edge.
Fold the circle in half, aligning the edges over the filling.
Seal the edges by pressing them together with your fingers.
Decorative Option: Pinch the edges to create a braided seam by forming small loops and pressing them onto the closed part with a slight offset.
Simple Option: Flatten the edges to close the pocket, then fold and press to create a spiral pattern.
Cook the Khuushuur
Heat oil in a large skillet or deep fryer. Cook over medium high heat.
Fry the Khuushuur until golden brown, ensuring the internal steam doesn't cause excessive oil splatter. Use a splatter screen if needed.
Once fried, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Khuushuur as a complete meal with ketchup or other condiments.
To serve as part of a larger meal, pair with vegetables or other side dishes. This recipe serves 2 people as a complete meal or 4 people with additional sides.
